Blossomfall's Unhappiness
by HalfSun
Summary: Blossomfall thinks that Millie doesn't love her. But is that really the case? One-shot. Fifth challenge for Cloudclan.


Blossomfall

I sighed unhappily as I watched my mother, Millie, fuss over Briarlight _yet again. _Why couldn't she see that Briarlight didn't like it, not one bit? Couldn't she see Briarlight's exasperated sighs as Millie groomed her fur, or Bumblestripe's sad glances, or my unhappiness-filled words directed her way? Wasn't it obvious? That I wished _I _received that much attention from her, instead of being criticized and shouted out for one little mistake?

"Blossomfall!"

My head snapped up, alarmed. Millie was glaring at me. "Why don't you do something useful for once?" she scolded, glaring at me. "Like, say, I don't know..._hunting for your poor crippled sister?_"

I growled and stamped my foot in frustration, but walked out of the camp anyway, muttering under my breath. Out in the forest, I began to relax. Birdsong filled the air, ivy vines crept up trees, the scent of hyacinths was everywhere, and dewy grass brushed against my fur, making it sparkle.

Then I scented a mouse. Dropping into a hunting crouch, I began to stalk it. Its small brown ears twitched as it nibbled on a seed. I drew closer and closer. My paw reached out toward the small brown mouse. I was just about to get it when...

"Blossomfall! What are you doing?"

I whipped my head around, and the mouse scurried away. "Mouse dung!"

Millie gave me a cold hard stare. "Why are you fooling around?" she hissed.

"I was hunting, until you scared that mouse away, Millie!"

"You should've paid more attention to it! Briarlight would give anything to be out in the forest again, and you're fooling around, barely bringing in food for the clan!"

"That's not true!" I protested. "I brung in a huge squirrel yesterday! It fed nearly half the clan!"

"That was only one time. It's not like there were others!"

I growled in frustration and stomped away, fuming.

"Don't think that this is over yet!"

"It is!" I hissed, rage bubbling inside of me.

When I reached the Thunderclan camp, Graystripe asked me to share some prey with him. I settled down next to my father, grateful to avoid Millie's furious glares. I ignored her. At least one of my parents cared about me. After settling down to eat the mouse he offered me, I asked, "Why does Millie like Briarlight best?"

"She doesn't pick favorites," meowed Graystripe hesitantly, doubt clouding his gaze.

"Sure," I meowed sarcastically, anger and sadness burning in my heart.

I raced away, heedless of where I was going. I didn't care. _Both my parents are liars!_

"Blossomfall, I told you-WATCH OUT!"

I whipped my head around. Millie was staring at me with a horrified expression. At first I didn't know what the deal was.

Then I scented the fox.

It lunged at me, claws scraping at my skin, slicing my paw, biting my tail. Millie joined in, batting at the creature. I couldn't believe it. _Millie _was helping _me?_

The fox slashed at me, but I dodged and bit its tail. The fox yipped and bit Millie's leg, but she retaliated with claws slicing at its muzzle. Her eyes burned with rage, and she was spitting with fury. "You don't touch my daughter!"

The fox yipped and ran away, frightened by our combined forces of forepaw slashes and slicing claws.

"Thank you!" I burst out. "And I'm so sorry that I ever got into that mess-"

"No, Blossomfall."

I blinked in surprise. "But-"

"It is I who should be sorry." Millie let out a huge, gusty sigh, filled with regret and sorrow. "I'm sorry for the way I chose favorites, stopped paying attention to you and Bumblestripe, loved Briarlight more. Today, when that fox attacked, I was afraid I was going to lose another kit, and that argument today...it made me realize that you felt unloved. I snapped at you because I was worried that you'd never be a great warrior. Now," she added, seeing the look on my face, "I don't think that you're not a great warrior. But I wanted you to be the _best. _I wanted you to be the warrior your sister could never be, and I guess I forgot that you can't do everything perfectly. I'm so sorry."

I purred. "I accept your apology, as long as you never do something like that ever again. And," I added, "I'm sorry for the way that I was jealous of poor Briarlight."

Millie purred too. "I guess that means..." Her voice trailed off. She was still unsure of what to say.

I understood, and nodded. I felt like I was flying.

Millie really loved me.


End file.
